


Two Cursed Souls

by heylittlehunter



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Blood, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, King! AU, M/M, Magic, Memory Loss, Minecraft! AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-04 07:56:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5326565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heylittlehunter/pseuds/heylittlehunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan wakes up without any idea who he is, where he was, and why he had just been dead moments before.<br/>With a crown and death wish on his head, he has to not only get his memory back, but also keep the encroaching Edgar from taking his land and friends away from him. His alliances are questioned, and the one he felt closest to doesn't trust a word he says anymore. Everything comes to a head when the Lich comes into play, once being one of Ryan's greatest assets and now being his worst enemy.</p><p>Who can he trust at this point besides himself?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You guys ready for a medieval adventure? Well here we gooooo :D Please enjoy!

His world was black when he first began to come to.

His vision was unclear and dented, the ceiling above him only coming into view after blinking numerous times and forcefully drawing his eyelids open. It looked cracked and old, probably from years of not being tended to - as he decided to assume.

His head lolled to the side heavily with a loud thump, dazing him for a few seconds before closing his eyes once again.

What was he doing prior to this? He definitely wasn’t in a bed, considering he was pretty much stark naked, save for the old rag covering his lower half - the draft was _not_ very comfortable. He tried to pick up his hand, but it felt heavy. His face contorted in strain as he forced his arm up, exhaustion ripping through him almost immediately and he dropped his arm to let it hang over the table he was laying on.

He sat in silence for what felt like hours, not really having any sense of time ever since he had woken up. He looked around himself slowly, taking in the cart of medical supplies on his right and the empty chair to his left. He tried to look up, but even the dimmed oil lamp hanging above him caused an aching headache that forced his eyes shut and his head to turn away abruptly. He was going to try and lift his arm again when he picked up approaching footsteps at the door.

He didn’t know what to do. Should he stay awake or just pretend he’s -

Before he could even finish his thought, the old door was swinging open with a loud creak, deciding it better to close his eyes and rely on his listening skills. Two voices occupied the room.

“How long has it been?” A male.

“A day or so.” And a female.

The other made a grumbling sound, walking towards the medical supplies and placing something down. The woman walked over and stood by his left side for a bit, picking up his arm and placing it back on the table roughly - _ouch_.

The man shuffled a bit with the supplies before he prodded at him with something blunt and cold, sending shivers up his spine - though he tried his best to conceal it. “Has _anyone_ even bothered to examine him yet?” the man said as he continued to poke and prod at different areas of his body.

There was a dragging sound to his left, that being the women grabbing the chair and bringing it closer.

“Not that I know of…” She sounded even more annoyed than the other guy. “But who better to examine _The Mad King_ then the great witches Lindsay and Caleb, am I right?”

_The Mad King._

The name struck something in his mind.

Was that who he was? He didn’t even realize he had forgotten his own name until now and the thought bothered him. He didn’t even know his own name. Only that whoever he was, he was a King - a _Mad_ King persay.

The women - Lindsay apparently - began to pull down the cover of his lower half, making him panic a bit from the idea of his royal junk just hanging out in the open air. But she stopped just short, much to his relief. He almost lost it when she started to touch an area at the lower part of his abdomen. Whatever was down there must have been bad, because the slightest touch with her fingers sent a fire like pain throughout his entire body. He didn’t even notice it before now, probably due to the fact he didn’t even have enough strength to lift his arm in an attempt.

“The wound still looks pretty bad. No infection, but still some type of essence left over...”

He tried to make another connection with the words they were saying, but Caleb joined Lindsay in examining the wound on his abdomen, really pushing his limits because holy shit did it hurt. He wasn’t sure whether it was the wound itself or whatever this _substance_ was, but either way he was half a second away from blowing his cover.

To his relief, they moved their hands away. He would have let out a breathe of relief, or untensed the muscles he didn’t even know were contracting so much in pain. But alas, _he’s supposed to be dead._

“Has anyone even tried closing the wound before the ‘Passing Over’ ceremony?” Caleb was shuffling the medical supplies, probably in search of a specific tool.

Lindsay made a noise of acknowledgement. “Not that I know of, should we just take care of it now? I mean, we weren’t assigned to…” She trailed off, tapping her quill vigorously against her paper; either writing something down, or thinking.

Caleb sighed heavily in response.

“Lindsay, you know what King Gavin said-”

“I know what he said,” she interrupted, her voice now an unnecessarily low whisper, “but he’s not in his right mental state right now. If he tries to use his healing powers right now…”

She paused, seeming to cast a look at him.

“Who knows what will happen...his powers won’t be stable enough and he could over-do it.”

Caleb sat for a moment, seeming to think it over for a minute.

“Lindsay...I don’t know…” He turned to the medical supplies, shuffling them about as if trying to distract himself and avoid the suggestion. “I-It just doesn’t seem right. Taking something this important away from him…”

Lindsay huffed in annoyance, but seemed to drop it then.

“Right…let’s just get back to work,” she muttered dismissively, reaching over to the medical supplies and grabbing one, “ready?”

Caleb hesitated for a moment before muttering a small ‘ _Yeah_ ’ and reaching for his own medical tool. The first thing he felt were two hands near his wound; the second thing he felt was _sharp_.

He was about ready to blow his cover when a shout came from somewhere near the doorway, causing both witches to stop their motions and lift the sharp tools away from his skin - _much to his relief._

“We’re being summoned,” Caleb said, quickly putting down his tool and rushing for the door. Lindsay followed suit, pushing out the chair roughly and practically scrambling for the door in a rush. He sat there in silence, the slight breeze from the door closing once more sending small chills through his body.

Whatever weight he felt on his body before was gone, and immediately replaced with urgency - he had to get out of this room and find out what the _hell was going on._

He turned to the left, hoping the chair would be close enough for him to use as leverage. But after Lindsay had gotten up, it was much farther than an arm's length now. He let out a curse before turning on his side and placing his hand on the table. Trying to push himself up on the first try was utterly useless because his arm immediately collapsed and he hit his head roughly against the old wood. He groaned, his eyesight going blurry for a moment as he lay on his side in a dazed state. It  kind of sucked that he had to ‘wake up’ only a couple of days after he had supposedly ‘died’. None of his limbs felt capable of working - probably from not being used and utterly lifeless for that period of time.

He took a deep breath and tried again, his face contorting in exertion as he used every ounce of his left over body strength to successfully sit up. Once he was propped up, all that was left to do was figure out how legs worked. He stared intensely at his own legs, hoping that maybe like, Lindsay and Caleb, he had some sort of mental powers and could force his legs to move.

Again, it didn’t work.

He let out a huff of frustration before grabbing each leg and swinging them over the edge of the table. He almost fell off from the dead weight of them, but caught himself before he caused too much unwanted attention. He first tried to stand up, his legs not being able to take his weight and crumpling onto the floor. He barely caught himself with his hands, scraping his palms on the old stone and hissing from the sting - it hurt more than he thought it should.

He quietly cursed to himself and examined his hands for a moment before looking at his immobile limbs once again.

“Well this is a problem,” he muttered, propping his back on the leg of the table.

His hands went to his legs, a strange feeling surging through them before a purple essence began to seep from the palms of his hands. He quickly pulled them away, startled and discomforted because _what in the gods name was that just now._

His breathing picked up as he examined his hands, now only glowing a faded lilac color. The purple entrails surrounded his hands, coming out like a fog almost with the way it touched his hands without any real feeling to them. His body started to shake because this was not human. He wasn’t human. _This was not supposed to be happening he must be a demon or a monster or-_

He shook off the thought and brought his hands to his legs, hovering over them and willing the lilac essence to spread, cover, _heal_. It didn’t work at first, but he concentrated, his head starting to pound from the effort and soon, they were moving. He almost lost concentration, but with force, he was able to cover both legs.

_Everything seemed to be going perfectly._

Until they flared up in excruciating pain.

He almost let out a scream of agony, resorting to biting his lip instead until it bled. The pain felt like fire and it was spreading through his legs and _god it just won’t stop_. His concentration was breaking and he could feel it because his mist was retracting. There wasn’t much longer until they were healed but the pain was increasing the longer he held it and it was starting to be the only thing he thought about and if he let go now would it really be a problem and-

The purple cloud disappeared. His legs felt normal.

He stopped biting his lip, the spot he had been biting turning a bit red and swelling, not that he cared though because the pain had finally stopped. He sucked in deep breathes of air, thanking the _Gods_ for ending the pain, and checked his legs. He wiggled his toes, bent his knees, rolled his ankles. All seemed to be in check so he proceeded to stand up, using the table as support because his legs were still fawn-like as he hasn’t used them properly in what felt like ages. He bent his knees a bit and walked around until he was able to support himself, suddenly remembering that he was very much naked and quickly grabbed the fleece that was still on the table to cover his lower regions.

He looked around himself.

_What the fuck was he supposed to do now?_

He wrapped the fleece tighter around his waist and let it hang comfortably as he searched the room. There had to be something in here that told him where he was, or even who he was.

He crossed the room and looked through the shelves, the cabinets, behind tables - nothing. He cursed to himself before turning around and heading for the door - but he hesitated at the knob.

_He is dead._

Or rather presumably dead.

He can’t just waltz out all gaudy-like saying ‘ _Not dead_!’ when his mere presence will cause an uproar and much unwanted attention. So,  He was the only one who knew, and he’d like to keep it that way for now.

He pressed his ear to the door, listening for any approaching footsteps before adjusting his garments once more and slowly turning the knob. The door made a low creaking sound as he opened it. His head popped out from the crack and he shifted his eyes around to scan the area, wanting to make sure there was no one lurking where they weren’t supposed to be. He stepped out from the dusty room and closed the door behind him, suddenly feeling stumped because _what was he supposed to do now?_

He didn’t know where to go, and gods forbid he tried to navigate this place on his own. The hallway only went left to right, the left leading to some double doors and the right, what looked to be an embroidered wooden door. He had a moment's hesitation before he went to the right, reaching the door quickly and pressing his ear up against it - once again, nothing could be heard from the other side. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He cursed to himself and jiggled the door handle a bit for good measure. Yeah, it wasn’t budging.

He ran a hand through his hair and turned around, quickly moving towards the other side of the hall. He passed by a torch hanging on the wall when-

_“-checked on him yet.”_

A voice. A foreign one.

There was a pause, a soft mumble could be barely heard, but no sense could be made of what it was saying.

_“I’ll talk to you more about it once I get there. Just...give me a moment.”_

He could tell the voice was getting closer and he didn’t have very much time to react. He quickly looked around himself again and saw that there was just enough room for him to stand behind a thin column.

There was some more mumbling coming from the door, a bit louder this time.

“ _Yes. Of course. I’ll take care of it. Bye.”_

The conversation seemed to end just as the doors were being swung open, and he couldn’t help but feel his heart drop. His back instinctively pressed up against the wall more, the soft click of heel against stone starting to become louder as the person approached. When they came into view, he bit his lip to try and stay quiet because there was _someone literally standing 5 feet in front of him who thinks that he is dead right now._

He eyed the man adorned in a green robe with a crown atop his brown mess of hair, seeming to be someone of high standing judging by the way he is dressed in very formal and expensive looking attire. He got a quick glimpse of his face as he passed by - and he looked almost as dead as he himself was minutes ago. His green eyes held bags under them, which for some reason, made him almost pity the poor guy. The man paused in front of the door he woke up in. For a long moment, he just stood there, staring at the door and clenching his jaw.

He could’ve sworn he heard a small ‘ _Damn it_ ’, being uttered before he stormed away, irritated. The stranger reached the door he had tried to go into previously and pulled out a key - _there it is_ \- opening it quickly and stepping inside with a loud slam of his door.

He let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding and laid his head back against the wall, allowing his heart to calm down. His hand came to his abdomen to hover over his wound, the pain flaring up again after taking such deep and quick breathes.

The pain reminded him of something.

Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on - but something.

He didn’t want to lose this chance to figure out who the hell he was and started to concentrate, piquing at different parts of his thoughts to try and piece together the feeling, the place, the time, just anything to help him not feel _so gods damn confused-_

And then his head started pounding-

And the images were flashing-

Fighting. A red hue. A throne. War. Blood

_His blood._

The images ran through his head so fast his mind couldn’t keep up and he began to feel himself get woozy as his world spinned and none of these images made sense and he just wanted to lay down at this point and being dead again sounded nice at this point because his head was literally going to split open and-

The next thing he knew he was running for the embroidered door, the one that the stranger had disappeared into before. But he didn’t care at this point, because anybody that could possibly stop this hammering was better than noone at all.

He fell into the door like a heavyweight once he had reached it, his legs almost immediately crumpling underneath him as he slid down the door, pounding his head against it as a means to just make the pain _go away._

“Bloody hell- who is disturbing me?”, a familiar voice called, close as ever now because the door was being swung open and the only thing he could do was fall in with it.

He heard a very audible gasp, followed by the feeling of someone’s hands under his armpits trying to lift him up which did not go well and settled for just being pulled into his lap.

His head was pounding, but he still managed to crack open an eye, catching a glimpse of the stranger.

_“Ryan?!”_

His world faded to black then, the last two things on his mind being the horrified look that those green eyes embodied, and that name.

_His name._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you do much for reading! If you enjoyed, please leave a comment below and you can follow my tumblr at Heylittlehunter.tumblr.com !!
> 
> Huge thank you to Jos, Ross, Lisa, Mel, and notamaincharacter for helping me with this fic and reading it over a bit!
> 
> I'll try and update every Monday around this time, so see you next week in the next chapter !


	2. Chapter 2

-

-

_“No, Ryan it’s too dangerous.”_

_Ryan glared at Geoff with a look of distaste. He did not like being denied._

_Ryan pointed at the land marked ‘E’. “There is not better chance than at this moment to take him out. He’s weakened at all borders and his army has drawn back in innumerable amounts. With the help of Michael’s army and Ray’s supplies, we could-”_

_I. Said. No.” Geoff slammed his hand down on the map of the kingdom to emphasize his statement. It didn’t phase Ryan in the slightest, only made him angrier and snap his head up to meet Geoff’s same glare._

_Ryan stood up then, his shoulders broadening as he tried to make himself seem bigger and more authoritative. What say did Geoff have in this? ‘He’ was encroaching on his territory, not Geoff’s. And if he were to have access to the Lich's' power that Ryan has been trying so hard to contain, he'd be utterly unstoppable._

_He really hated the way Geoff tried to make himself seem bigger than Ryan, smarter than Ryan, more experienced than Ryan. For the record he wasn’t, and just because Geoff was the one to find the heart of Achievement Kingdom did not give him the right to make decisions on what was his. The city he built up from the ashes belonged to him._

_Geoff stood up straighter as well, a stern glare making its way onto his face that would’ve made anyone back down, at least if they weren’t the Mad King. “_

_I’m the one that brought you into my Kingdom,” Geoff started, holding eye contact firmly, “ let you call yourself a ‘King’. So if anyone is going to make the call, it’s me. Trust me on this Ryan. Don’t. Attack.”_

_Ryan’s brows furrowed. “You?! After letting ‘him’ attack Ray’s land like he did, you want me to trust you’ll make the right decision at this point?” Ryan slammed his hands on the table as well with enough force to send a quake that could be felt through the ground. “_

_You’re the last person I’m going to trust at this point.”_

_He could feel Geoff's steaming anger from where he stood, the stern gaze faltering a bit because he knows what he did wrong. All the blood shed. All the slaughtering of women and children. Ray, almost bleeding out on the floor alone. The fires and screaming and utter chaos- all because of Geoff’s mistake. Instead of invading from the south, ‘his’ army came from the west. And they weren’t ready. They weren’t ready and just like that, their advantage was gone. The attackers became the defenders - and someone he considered a friend couldn’t do just that._

_Geoff let out a shaky sigh, a hand coming up to his face and wiping down it as if trying to get rid of the memory. “I’m very aware of my slip-up-”_

_“This was more than a slip-up! You just showed Edgar you have a weakness. That every last one of us have a weakness and he is going to take that weakness and feed off of it.”_

_“Don’t you think I know that!” Geoff very rarely raised his voice; but at times like this, it was necessary. “I know that because of me….someone got hurt. Someone we all care about was very close to…” Geoff swallowed hard, not wanting to finish the sentence as he took a deep breathe in before continuing. “That’s why, this time, I’m not going to let anyone get hurt.”_

_Geoff pointed a finger at Ryan._

_“I’m not going to let you get hurt.”_

_Ryan didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe the bullshit reaching his ears because Geoff didn’t know how Edgar was like Ryan did. Didn’t know just how smart this bastard was and how quickly Geoff will see everything he ever loved fall apart before his very eyes - and when he finds that he can’t do a damn thing about it, he’ll finally understand._ _Geoff noticed his fuming and sighed, not as an admission of defeat, but because he knew that at this point, the fight would just get worse._

_“You know what, Ryan? You’re just mad at me because you know that behind all of this, it’s all your fault. I let you slip into the safety of my kingdom to avoid this, Edgar,” Ryan visibly tensed up at the name, “ because you were too damn weak to do it by yourself. So, when I say we aren’t going to attack Edgar. We won’t.” Geoff sounded more annoyed at this point, his expression going unreadable as it always does when he’s serious._

_Ryan’s fists clenched with white knuckles as he huffed out angrily. “_

_You wanna see Mad?”_

_Ryan’s hand hovered over his sword._

_"_ _I’m all about being Mad.”_

_Geoff’s hand went to his own sword. “Ryan, don’t start this.”_

_“_ _Or what, you’ll kill me? Put me in holding? Kick me out of something that I’ve always owned? ” Ryan scoffed mockingly as a grin played onto his lips - no humor hidden behind the gesture. “I’d really like to see you try.”_

_Geoff eyed Ryan carefully, not responding soon enough because Ryan was pulling out his sword now and Geoff was forced to as well and suddenly they were marching at each other and-_

_The door burst open._

_“_ _What the hell is going on in here?!”_

_The two of them snapped their heads to the source of the voice._

_“_ _Gavin-”_

_Before Geoff could finish his sentence, Ryan was swinging his sword, and it was inches from Geoff's face when suddenly a bright light whizzed past their faces. Ryan’s sword clattered to the ground and his hand felt very hot all of a sudden. He shook his hand and held it close to his chest, checking it to see that there were burn marks, the skin turning very red and raw from the exposure, but nothing too visually appalling. Ryan whipped his head to the side and saw Gavin standing there, hand outstretched and a grayish-yellow smoke still coming out of his palm as an after effect._

_He seemed to immediately realize his mistake and retracted his hand, bringing it close to his chest as if imitating Ryan. But through Gavin’s look of uncertainty, his irritation didn’t seem to falter, because his brows were furrowed together and he stormed up to Ryan and Geoff with more authority than Ryan would have liked._

_“What were you two doing just now?”, Gavin questioned, looking between the two of them and stopping at Ryan’s stare, “Especially you.”_

_Ryan looked away from Gavin and at Geoff, letting go of his burnt hand finally and reaching down for his sword that was still lying on the ground._

_“Doesn’t matter,” Ryan shifted his eyes to Gavin again, “none of you will ever understand anyways.”_

_Ryan stormed out without another word, never noticing the worried look Gavin had thrown his way._

-

-

Ryan woke up very suddenly, sitting up too quickly for his abdomen and brought his hand to the area out of habit. But what he felt was nothing. He felt nothing because his wound just wasn't there anymore. He looked down at himself and gaped at his clean stomach, nothing being there except for the skin on his body and the sweat from his-

_Dream._

He remembered the dream suddenly. The arguing, the burning pain in his hand, the pure _anger_ he had felt. _The madness he had felt._ All of it rushing back at once and almost stirring up his horrible head ache once again. His hand came to his temple as he sat up more, his back resting against the soft pillow that once occupied his head.

_What did any of that mean?_

Ryan recalled it as a memory, the feelings and sights way too familiar to be anything otherwise. But, it did nothing to actually answer the questions that ran about in his head. If anything, it just added more, like who this _‘Edgar’_ was, who Ray and Geoff were and how they related to him, why ‘King’ Gavin was there, and why the hell he shot a fireball at Ryan.

At this point, he definitely had a headache, so he decided to drop the subject there and come back to it when he was in a better state of mind.

Ryan looked around himself, seeing a set of clothes laid out at the foot of the bed and remembered that he was still very nude. He sighed to himself getting up from the bed and grabbing the clothes, putting them on slowly because this whole situation felt like a really bad case of déjà vu. As he slipped on the fur lined cape that draped over his shoulders and down his back, there was an odd feeling that ran through him and sent shivers up his spine - he decided it best to ignore it.

He looked down at the bed, the last item shining in the morning light coming through the front window of the room in soft hues of yellow.

The crown. _His crown._

Ryan’s fingers lingered over it in a moment of hesitation before he picked it up. He traced the top of it with the tip of his fingers, examining every crack, every scrape, every stain. All of it having some sort of meaning that he would once know, but now only being a representation of who he was in his ‘past’ life. He turned to the mirror that sat by the head of the bed and looked at himself, crown still in hand.

He really did look like a King. His shoulders were dressed in an elegant velvet with soft white fur lining the edge near his neck. A gold chain hung near his clavicle to hold the cape in place and swung slightly as he turned to get a better look at himself. The kilt he was wearing was a bit questionable in his opinion, but it added character - he liked that. He looked down at his crown for a moment and then back up at the mirror, bringing it up to his head slowly. When he placed it upon his head, he felt his breath escape him because _this was all looking way too familiar._

Ryan took sharp intakes of breath in an attempt to calm himself. The mere sight of seeing himself as a King was supposed to be a good thing, right? King’s were good, they were meant to protect and lead and control - so why did he feel so much dread at seeing _himself?_ _What could he have possibly done to create this image of himself?_

Ryan looked away from the mirror and decided to put away the thought for now, thinking it best to deal with his own personal demons after he figured out what these demons were exactly. He was about to walk away when he noticed a note settled upon the bedside table. He raised an eyebrow out of curiosity and picked it up, reading over it’s contents quickly.

_“Meet me in the southern Dovecote.”_

A heavy feeling settled over him at these words. He didn't know why, but it was there. He folded the note up and slipped it into his belt for safe keeping before walking towards the embroidered door.

-

Ryan didn’t know how exactly he was able to navigate the castle without a memory, but he did.

The familiarity of every long corridor and slightly off-putting painting led him right to where he believed King Gavin should be. He didn’t mind the walk really, it let him get some peace of mind after all the commotion he’s been feeling since he’s woken up for the second time. But he would have rather stayed inside than be met with the shining morning sun. As his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he walked down a gray stone path through a slightly wooded area.

He was expecting to be attacked by a numerous amount of doves as he walked into the Dovecote, but there were none. Only a stern look from the man that stood on the other side of the very small space.

King Gavin, as Ryan recognized from his dream, kept a distance between the two of them. He was a bit put off by it, but decided to ignore it as he shut the door behind himself. A moment of silence hung between the two of them, and not a companionable one either. Ryan sighed after a few more moments and fished into his belt to grab the note.

“You wanted to speak with me?” He held up the note and waved it a bit to add emphasis to his statement. Gavin’s look shifted from Ryan to the note and then back again. It was quick and careful and Ryan could tell that whatever conversation was about to happen between the two of them was not good. “Yes, I did. Thought I’d never be able to again. Funny, huh?” Gavin’s face held no expression and Ryan raised an eyebrow. He’s just met the guy and he already doesn’t like him - well, re-met for that matter.

“Yeah, _very_ funny,” Ryan retorted with a only a hint of irritation laced in his words. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight onto one foot, trying to make it as evident as possible that he was not in the mood. “Now can we get on with this, I have a lot to deal with right now” - that being scouring through old baby photos and journals.

Gavin crossed his arms as well, eying Ryan up and down in a way that made him look as if he were exposed, vulnerable. But of course, he wasn’t.

“Right, of course you do, _My King._ ” Ryan could feel the sarcasm from across the room and his eyebrows fell menacingly. Gavin began to pace around the room with slow, long steps, and Ryan started to do the same, making it look as if they were about to duel.

“You must know that previous to your great awakening, you were deceased. At least,” Gavin looked him up and down again,” until now. So it makes me wonder, how?”

Ryan sighed irritatedly. “If you’re asking me, I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore apparently.”

Gavin shook his head dismissively, pausing in his tracks and facing Ryan. He did the same.

“There is magic in this world, as you are probably already aware,” Ryan’s hands flinched, “but not everyone has the ability to use it. Only those who were born within the bloodline are strong enough to contain it’s immense power.”

Gavin seemed to hesitate a bit, as if considering whether or not he should do his next action. But before he could stop himself, he opened up his palm to reveal a small yellow light. It hovered above his hand and seemed to radiate immense heat as Ryan could feel it from where he stood - _he really was strong._

“I’m a descendant of this bloodline, my father being the last in our family to share this power before he died.” Gavin closed his palm, extinguishing the flame and said his next words with a calm ferociousness that off put Ryan. “I am the _only_ person in this kingdom that is able to heal or even attempt necromancy, so please tell me, _how the hell are you standing in front of me when I am the only person alive that could ever bring you back?_ ”

_‘I can heal too.’_

Ryan recalled the time his legs didn’t work, using his own, painful, powers to allow himself the use of his legs. It confused Ryan beyond words because there was no way he was a descendant of Gavin’s bloodline. And even if he was, Gavin would’ve known beforehand, right?

He didn’t know how to respond, reasons being he was kind of speechless after this lecture and because of the fact that he _actually_ doesn’t know how he was alive right now. Either way, he felt attacked and _very_ pissed off. He cocked his head to the side slightly and took a couple of steps forward, Gavin doing the same soon after.

“Are you accusing me of doing something vile? I haven’t even been back for a day, how am I supposed to-”

“You can if you’re not who you say you are.”

Ryan stood there baffled, his face contorting in confusion because what did he know? How was this _‘King’_ able to tell him who he was, when he himself didn’t even know.

“Excuse me?! Who are you to tell me who I am?” Ryan clenched his fists, on the verge of blowing up.

_“I don’t even know who I am!”_

His words were said with such aggressiveness they echoed around the room, leaving a heavy atmosphere to settle between him and Gavin. All of his emotions crashed down on him at once - anger, confusion - and he breathed out heavily.

Gavin huffed in response. “Well whoever, or _whatever_ you are,” Gavin licked his lips and shook his head, “you’re not Ryan. There’s no bloody way.” Ryan caught a glimpse of uncertainty in his eyes, his face softening for a moment, but not for long.

A silence stood between the two of them for a long time before Ryan scoffed dismissively.

“This is getting nowhere. I’m done with this.”

As Ryan turned away and reached towards the door handle, a blinding light flashed and suddenly the iron door handle was hotter than it was seconds ago. He ripped his hand away from the steaming metal and nursed it with his opposite hand, turning around angrily, the snarl from his throat not in any way friendly. This scene reminded him too closely of his dream, but he cast the thought aside for now. For now, he just gaped at Gavin and the yellow hue enveloping his hand.

Gavin stood there and breathed heavily for a moment, staring Ryan down with an intense determination. His face seemed paler, the bags under his eyes becoming more apparent.

“You’re not going anywhere yet,” Gavin’s hand began to glow again, and before Ryan could react, he was hit roughly in the shoulder with a blast of Gavin’s magic. But it wasn’t pain he felt, just drowsiness, because his eyelids felt extremely heavy and he couldn’t help falling to the floor. His head hit the floor and all he could hear was the soft tap of shoes as Gavin approached him. Ryan opened his eyes again, barely a crack and only saw Gavin’s face as he looked down at him.

_“Lich…”_

And then Ryan’s eyes closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to [yes-asil](http://yes-asil.tumblr.com/) on tumblr for making [this lovely piece of art right here! ](http://yes-asil.tumblr.com/post/134341610772/here-we-go-i-promised-the-lovely)  
> Also, thank _you_ for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter :D


	3. Chapter 3

_-_

_-_

_Ryan picked up his sword and put it into his belt._

_The moonlight shined in through his window with a subtle blue hue that made his room seem lighter and more content. However, Ryan’s thoughts didn’t match the atmosphere around him as he placed the rest of his belongings into his bag._

_He tied off the top of the bag and threw it around his shoulder before walking over to his bedside table where a pile of papers and a quill sat in its pot. He picked up the quill to leave a note for King Gavin and Geoff, but stopped before it hit the paper._

_After their fight earlier today, there was no way Geoff would approve of Ryan leaving in the middle of the night. Especially for what Ryan was about to do. He held the quill there for a moment longer, considering leaving some type of goodbye before setting it back in its ink pot._

_He sighed and walked to the door, taking one last look behind himself before walking out._

_He traveled through Geoff’s castle quietly, avoiding the guards and their dogs that may be roaming around at this time of night. He tripped over himself a couple of times and almost got caught, but he easily made it to one of the exits that was shaded by shrubbery and low trees. He crouched down to get into the low arching exit when-_

_“Ryan?”_

_Startled, Ryan tried to stand up quickly, but only hit the top of his head on the stone archway. He groaned and brought a hand to his head as he turned around, nursing the swelling bump on his head with it._

_“Christ- Ryan, I didn’t mean to startle you.”_

_Ryan’s eyes widened. “Gavin?! What are you-” As he uttered the words, a light began to shine from behind Gavin. Ryan grabbed the front of Gavin’s shirt and pulled him farther into the foliage, Gavin falling into Ryan with a small grunt and the shuffling of leaves._

_“Ryan-”_

_Before Gavin could speak, Ryan clapped a hand over his mouth, motioning him to stay quiet as the light grew brighter. He could feel Gavin’s questioning eyes on him as the guard passed by, the light from his torch brightening and then fading away. Ryan let out the breathe he was holding, and then Gavin’s mouth._

_He turned to look at Gavin and noticed how close the two of them were to each other, Gavin practically in Ryan’s lap. They made eye contact for a moment, but Gavin pulled his gaze away, backing off a bit and fixing his shirt where Ryan had grabbed it to pull him to the ground with a pink face. Ryan did the same and cleared his throat, standing up and offering a hand to Gavin who took it with a small smile._

_“So,” Gavin began, looking over Ryan’s shoulder to make sure no one else was coming, “what exactly are you doing out here so late at night?”_

_“I think I could ask you the same thing,” Ryan replied, crossing his arms and smiling a bit, causing Gavin to copy his actions._

_“I like to come out here at night when no one is around and just, look at the stars. There's a nice spot on top of Geoffrey's castle right there.” Gavin pointed up at a ledge, Ryan turning to look. There was what looked to be a wooden post sticking out from the side of the castle, looking like one of the ones that Ray liked to jump off of swearing he was an assassin. ‘Ray, you're enough of an ass as it is.’_

_Ryan felt a pang of hurt in his chest, remembering why he was doing this in the first place. But he had to keep up the act, he couldn’t risk Gavin getting involved when too many people were at this point. So, Ryan smiled instead._

_“How'd you even get up there?”_

_Gavin cocked his head slightly and gave Ryan a look that said ‘Really?’ He opened up his palms and a small light leaked from them - a dull yellow that just covering the middle of his hands._

_Ryan nodded. “Right, magic.”_

_“You should come up there with me sometime?”, Gavin asked, closing his palms and extinguishing the light._

_Ryan shrugged. “I'll pass.”_

_“But Ry-bread!” Gavin squawked, making a very obvious show of his hands that he was upset with his answer._

_Ryan sighed, but not in an annoyed tone. “Please refrain from calling me that, besides I have some business to take of right now.”_

_Gavin raised an eyebrow. “What do you-” He seemed to eye the bag filled with Ryan's stuff behind him and his expression visibly fell._

_“Ryan-”_

_“I’m not leaving,” he quickly said, not wanting it to look like he was abandoning them, ”well, not forever at least…” Ryan bent down to grab the bag and slung it over his shoulder once more. “I just need to take care of something.”_

_Gavin seemed to sense the uncertainty in Ryan’s voice and looked like he was about to reach out and comfort him, his fingers raising and twitching slightly, but he never did._

_“Is there something wrong?” Gavin's voice was barely a whisper. “This doesn’t have to do with what Geoff said, does it?”_

_Ryan looked down and ran a hand through his hair. “That depends on whether you agree with me or him on the matter.”_

_“Ryan, you can’t-”_

_“Stop Gavin, you’re not going to convince me not to go. I’ve already made up my mind.”_

_Gavin shifted on his feet uncomfortably. “Well then, at least let me help you!”_

_“No!”_

_Gavin’s face fell again. “If I help you with this plan, Geoff can’t say no. He has this overwhelming need to protect me like I’m his child,” he rolled his eyes a bit,” so if I go, he’ll have no choice but to supply you with an army and-”_

_“Stop Gavin.” Ryan’s voice was stern and oddly serious, his point obviously getting through to Gavin seeing as he seemed to shrink down on himself slightly. Ryan saw this and his face softened, not meaning to actually hurt his feelings. “I have to do this alone. There is some magic involved that even you don’t know about. And if I don’t take care of it now,” Ryan sighed and looked away, “I won’t ever get to.”_

_Gavin was quiet for a moment not really reacting. The tense silence was held between the two of them before Ryan let out a sigh of relief and began to turn around._

_“Wait-”_

_Ryan turned around again and was immediately engulfed in a hug. His face went hot, and he couldn’t tell whether it was from the cold air hitting his cheeks or the warm body hitting his. Gavin’s hugs always comforted him. He remembered him telling Ryan once that he was always warmer than usual because of his family’s bloodline, and Ryan believed it. There was never a moment that Gavin didn’t seem filled with life with a benevolent air surrounding him - and he honestly hopes he never has to see that day._

_He smiled slightly to himself and brought one hand to rest in Gavin’s disheveled hair, the other coming down to the small of his back._

_“Don’t do something stupid.” Gavin’s voice was muffled against Ryan’s coat, the hot breath from his words tickling Ryan’s neck and forcing him to contain the shiver that ran down his spine._

_“I won’t, but if I do, I’ll think of you,” Ryan replied, Gavin playfully pushing at him as he untangled himself from Ryan’s arms. Gavin’s expression tightened a bit as he said his next words, almost solemnly._

_“Promise me, Ryan. Promise you’ll be okay and I’ll keep your secret.”_

_Ryan stood there a moment before nodding. Gavin smiled a bit, letting the silence drag on between the two of them before a set of footsteps could be heard approaching, both of their heads snapping towards that direction._

_“I should go,” Ryan said quickly, turning around quickly and stepping into the low tunnel._

_“Ryan, one more thing.”_

_He stopped in his tracks once again and turned towards the King, staring at him as if giving him permission to speak._

_“Come back soon.” Gavin’s words barely came out as he rubbed his hands together and a shade of pink coated his cheeks - it was cold outside._

_Ryan only nodded in response before continuing through the small opening and emerging on the other side enshrouded in the darkness._

_“My lord! What are you doing out here at this time of night?” An unknown voice could be heard on the other side of the tall wall._

_“Nothing of importance, just wandering I guess you could say.”_

_“Might I suggest you go inside, my lord? It is quite cold outside and I don’t think King Geoff would want you to catch a cold.”_

_“You’re right, I suggest most people to find a shelter at these low temperatures.”_

_Ryan smiled to himself, and as the two sets of footsteps and voices began to fade away, he turned himself around and strode into the woods._

-

-

“Do you really think he is? We can’t be certain…”

“I know he is, Geoff. I’m telling you the truth. I’m the only person that could have possibly brought him back.”

A groan and a pair of shoes tapping back and forth across the seemingly small room was all Ryan heard as he began to wake up again. He really should stop passing out so often, it was only adding to the immense headache he’s had since day one of waking up. As two voices were heard, Ryan thought it best not to disturb them and kept his eyes shut.

The pacing stopped in front of him, a short pause following. He could tell Geoff was staring at him.

He sighed before speaking. “Gavin, I know how hard it was for you when-”

“It was hard on all of us.”

“I know, but let me finish. You two were growing closer, I could see it in the way you both looked at each other, spent more time together, it’s understandable that you would be pissed off when he was killed.”

“You don’t know _anything_ about what I felt.”

“What I’m trying to say is, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. It is...possible that he could be the Lich imitating what we once knew as Ryan, but there are other forms of magic in play around the kingdom that even you don’t know about. Before I can affirm that he really is being reanimated as _the_ Lich,” Geoff walked closer to Ryan, causing the man to stiffen. “We have to consider all of our options.”

Gavin walked up next to Geoff as well, a breeze following him that caused his cape to flutter.

“What options do we have _left_? You know what Ryan was in charge of. Contain the power, keep it sustained unless we absolutely need it in times of hard war and don't use it for any other alternatives.” Gavin paused for a moment, probably looking over at Ryan with a look that he was glad he couldn't see.

“He showed me his lab, you know. The different experiments he performed, the immense care he took to make sure he was the only one who could release or even control this power-”

“He allowed you access into his lab?” Geoff seemed absolutely baffled. Apparently he wasn't one to share.

Gavin mhm’d. “There was so much planning, so much hard work put into making sure the Lich’s power would be contained and stay contained. Then suddenly, the Lich’s power is gone and Ryan’s _alive_ after-” Gavin choked on his words, clearing his throat.

“That's the only explanation, Geoff, you have to believe me.”

Geoff didn't respond, only let out an exasperated sigh and began to pace again. Gavin seemed eager to get an answer so he started to move closer to Ryan-

“Gavin, leave the room.”

Gavin whipped around. “Geoff-”

“Don’t challenge me, Gavin. Leave this room, now.” Geoff’s voice came out sternly smooth, shutting the fellow King up before he uttered anything else.

Gavin didn’t move for a long moment, Ryan almost being able to _feel_ the anger seething off of him suddenly.

He huffed out angrily, moving away from Ryan again - much to his relief.

“Of course,” there was creak of the door opening, “ _My King_.”

A moment of silence hung in the air before he left, Geoff watching him close the door roughly before turning to face Ryan again.

“You can open your eyes now Ryan, I know you’re awake.” Ryan smirked and opened his eyes, sitting up and rubbing the side of his neck.

Geoff stood up straighter and crossed his arms. “Listening in?”

Ryan scoffed. “How could I not? You two can’t seem to get enough of me.”

Geoff’s mouth twitched into a smile briefly before flattening again, walking behind Ryan and untying his hands from their restraints. Once his hands were free, he rubbed at the tender skin and shot Geoff a questioning look as came to the front again. Geoff held up his hand.

“Before you say anything, I don’t trust you. Not completely that is,” Ryan gave an acknowledging shrug, “but I also don’t trust Gavin around you right now. That kid is letting his emotions take over his thoughts and with him this way, I don’t want him to lose control.”

Ryan nodded slightly in understanding, standing up and pushing the chair away from him to allow more room to stand. He didn’t want to walk too close if Geoff still doesn’t trust him. He rather liked his head attached to his body.

“What do you want from me then?” Ryan asked, crossing his arms to match Geoff’s movements.

“Nothing more than answers to a few of my questions.”

Ryan scoffed. “You think I have them? I didn’t even know who I was yesterday.”

“You’ll find them, trust me. Just bare with me for a moment, would you?”

Ryan pressed his lips together tightly. He didn’t know what Geoff was trying to get out of him, but whatever method it is, it’s better than what Ryan has done to try and remember how he was alive. Ryan’s eyes tracked Geoff’s body up and down, Geoff noticing instantly.

“I’m unarmed, since you seem to be concerned.” Geoff raised the sides of his cape to show his empty belt. “I’m not your enemy Ryan, never was.”

Ryan tracked his eyes around Geoff’s open coat for a moment more before looking back up into his eyes. He didn’t see any sign that he was lying from the way the King seemed to almost be pleading.

“Alright then, talk.”

Geoff let his coat fall and sighed in relief.

“The big question is, how exactly you were brought back to life, all signs of past wounds and trauma completely erased from your body,” Ryan opened his mouth to protest, but Geoff interrupted him, “but I know, you don’t remember, so we’ll save that one for later.” Ryan shut his mouth again.

“How did you remember your name?’

“Gavin said it to me before I passed out in front of him.”

“Where did you wake up?”

“What I’m assuming to be my castle, in the medical chambers.”

“Do you remember anything from before you woke up? Anything at all?”

Geoff was asking questions too fast, Ryan felt himself begin to feel flustered.

“U-uh no, I mean, I don’t think so-”

“You don’t think so?”

He grew less flustered and more annoyed by the sudden push.

“No. I don’t. Look, everything's a blur at this point and right now, it’s gonna be kinda hard to piece it together.

“You have to remember Ryan, there’s gotta be something you remember.”

Geoff walked closer to Ryan and gripped his shoulders, and if he were trying to be comforting in this gesture, it did not work. Ryan shrugged off his grip and looked irritatingly at Geoff.

“I already told you, I don’t remember anything,” Ryan retorted, smoothing out his clothes where Geoff had gripped him. His annoyance shifted to anger as Geoff persisted him more and more.

Of course, it’s important that he remembers what happened, and hell, Ryan wouldn’t be mad if he remembered either. But this constant offensive was pushing Ryan in ways he didn’t like. Geoff sighed back, and looked up at Ryan, and somehow he found himself softening under the gaze.

“C’mon Ryan, I’m trying to help you here, you’ve at least got to prove to me that you’re not the Lich.”

And there’s the name again. The name that seems to slip off of everyone's tongue too carefully, the name that seems to be whispered rather than spoken with casual confidence. And the thing is, Ryan feels like he should be that way too. The name seems almost as familiar as his own once it was uttered by Gavin, but now leaves a gap in his memory that is way too uncomfortable for his liking. He doesn’t know how him coming back related to the Lich, but apparently it did to the point of everyone turning on him.

_“The Lich...”_

Geoff stiffened as the words left Ryan’s lips.

“What is it? Why does everyone say I could be it?”

Geoff froze for a moment, as if not understanding Ryan’s question right away. A moment of silence hung in the air between them, both men not making a move to answer and Ryan felt himself grow impatient.

“Well?” he asked, placing his hands on his hips. Geoff stared at him for a moment, his eyes tracking Ryan’s body the way Gavin did when he first saw Ryan pass out at his feet, but not from shock, from concern if anything - and it left a heavy feeling in his stomach.

“Ryan, this is not the time to talk about it.“ Ryan knit his eyebrows together in annoyance, but Geoff kept talking. “You’ve only been awake for a day or so, and the Lich, well, he’s a really big subject. I don’t think it’s right to overwhelm you with that right now. And by the looks of you, I don’t think you’re physically or mentally ready, understand?”

Ryan huffed out and let his arms fall to his side. It was true, Geoff wasn’t lying when he said Ryan looked exhausted. He was _exhausted_. There were so many holes in his mind, any reminder that something was missing pushed him to the point of major migraines. So, of course he’d want to fill them in as soon as possible, not only because he wanted to stop the pain, but also because he just wanted to _remember_ , about his family, his childhood, Gavin, Geoff, why he was called the _Mad King - everything._

But, what Geoff said was right, he can wait on the information for now and so Ryan visibly relaxed. Geoff seemed to notice and untensed his own shoulders, gripping Ryan’s shoulder again, except this time in comfort rather than overwhelming persistence.

“I don’t think you’re the Lich, I honestly don’t. He’s...he’s a really bad entity that has plagued this land for centuries, and you don’t look like you could hurt a fly right now even if you tried,” Ryan pulled a face,“ However, the person you’re going to have trouble convincing right now is Gavin. He’s really deliberate when it comes to magic, and anything he doesn’t know about or can’t control makes him anxious, almost threatened. But, he’s actually a good kid once you get to know him, well…” Geoff massaged the back of his own neck, “re-know him, I guess in your case.”

_‘Right, the memory thing.’_

Ryan gave Geoff a small, genuine smile, appreciating the _first_ kind gesture he’s received in the last two days. Geoff nodded in return, lingering a bit too long and retracting his arm a bit awkwardly. Ryan let out a cough to break the silence.

“We should go find Gavin, try and convince him I’m not, this Lich thing or whatever.”

“Yeah, that sounds-”

Before Geoff could finish his sentence, a man dressed in dark purple attire burst through the door causing both Kings to whip their heads to the source.

“King Geoff, I have urgent news.”

“Kdin, this better be important,” Geoff demanded, turning completely around to face Kdin properly. Kdin was breathing heavily, his eyes wide and full of what could be mistaken for horror as he spoke.

_“It’s-It’s King Ray. He’s awake.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading once again!! Also, expect a Christmas fic to be coming some time next week for a secret santa that I have participated in muahaha >:D  
> Please feel free to leave comments and kudos, and I'll see you next week uvu <3


	4. Chapter 4

Ryan felt like he should have been incredibly emotional about the news if he actually remembered who that was, besides the mention of his name in a dream he’s had.

Geoff on the other hand, matched Kdin’s expression, absolutely shocked, and even slightly joyful.

"Ray...is awake?” Geoff said carefully, walking up to Kdin and standing in front of him tall and authoritatively. “You’re absolutely sure?”

Kdin nodded. “Yes, King Gavin is already making his way there, as well as the other two ruling parts of the Kingdom, I suggest you two do the same.” Kdin stepped all the way in and held the door open for Geoff and Ryan.

“Thank you, Kdin, ready mine and King Ryan’s horses at once and we will be at the entrance in a few moments.” Geoff ordered, rushing out of the door. Ryan gave Kdin a small ‘ _ Thank you’,  _ before catching up to Geoff. But the spectacled man looked horrified by him - Ryan wasn’t completely surprised considering his name was literally  _ The Mad King. _ He had to get that name somehow and Ryan honestly hopes he doesn’t have to know someday.

As he stepped out of the room, Ryan briefly recalled the name Ray. Long talks, quiet bickering, small connections. There were fuzzy moments of clarity where he saw himself standing next to the shorter man, hands moving exasperatedly in excited conversation, heads thrown back in genuine laughter, just an overall good air with any brief memory Ryan had of him.

But with these memories came what looked like  _ war.  _ And the fact that Ray had  _ just  _ woken up from  _ something _ is what scares Ryan the most.

Ryan noticed he was starting to fall behind Geoff’s long strides as he was lost in thought and quickened his pace in order to catch up. He thought for a moment that he should ask what happened to Ray, find out what caused him to be asleep for so long, but a quick glance at Geoff's stern and grim expression erased that thought immediately. There were other people he could ask if his memory failed to ever come back, and so he walked on.

The two of them reached the entrance to Geoff’s massive castle soon, two horses flicking their tails around and two men holding their respective halters, one of them being Kdin and the other, taller with a noticeable lack of hair. The horses carried a pack saddle filled with food what looked to be simple camping supplies - obviously this was a trip that was going to take more than a day. Ryan followed behind Geoff, watching him get onto his own white stallion, so he walked towards his black one and-

‘ _ Do I remember how to ride a horse?’  _

The thought passed quickly, because as he set his foot in the stirrup, everything became natural for him. He swung his leg over the back of the horse and held firmly onto the halter, edging the horse to turn and face the same way as Geoff. He smiled to himself a bit as he caught Geoff look over and give a stifled laugh.

Geoff looked down at Kdin. “Take care of the place while I’m gone, although I shouldn’t be gone for too long if everything goes well.”

“Of course, My King. Matt, let’s get back.” Matt nodded silently towards Geoff and Ryan before following Kdin back towards the dimly lit castle. 

Geoff looked towards Ryan. “Stick close behind me,  _ they’ll be roaming soon. _ ”

Ryan knew who ‘ _ they _ ’ were,, the green mass that blew you to pieces if you got too close, the growling, once-deceased that were reanimated - much like Ryan - , the giant spiders that could jump higher than any beast Ryan could remember seeing. So he nodded back at Geoff.

“Alright then, let’s go.” Geoff tussled his rope and shot off into the forestry, Ryan copying him and sticking close behind him, just as he was told.

-

They had ridden through the rest of the night and another whole day before setting up camp. At this point, Ryan felt like he could've gone the whole way without stopping, but Geoff insisted on resting in an area while it wasn’t too populated by other lurkers.

The two of them were checking the perimeter around an area that broke through the trees above them, the stars shining through blissfully as the moon cast enough light for Ryan and Geoff to see without the aid of a torch. Ryan went one way while Geoff went the other, it being the first time he has been left alone for quite a while. 

He really didn’t mind though, the forest around their resting place was quite peaceful and really only had a few chickens clucking away at Ryan as he passed by them carefully. His hand hovered over his sheathed sword for a moment, the heavy weight on his belt feeling foreign as the iron glinted brightly in the moonlight.

Earlier, when Geoff had stopped to talk to him, he was able to learn about himself, well, his past self that is. The version of Ryan that looked rough on the outside, but was actually a huge science nerd if you really got to know him. The version of Ryan that would flub every other sentence in day-to-day conversation that left Geoff in a fit of guffaws. The version of Ryan that used to be cold and curt, but is now the one reaching out to others. The version of Ryan that was actually kind, funny, a good friend,  _ a gracious ruler. _

But there was also the version of Ryan that everyone _ feared _ .

Geoff didn’t seem to want to touch on it much, Ryan noticing the way he wouldn’t make decent eye contact with him as he spoke of the horrifying stories. Ryan, the psychopath who would kill for sport if he ever found himself with nothing to do. Ryan, the animal slaughterer that would perform gruesome experiments on the livestock that used to roam the grasslands. Ryan, the vicious tyrant that rid of anyone who crossed or defied him. It was no wonder people were calling him  _ The Mad King. _

But he wasn’t like that, right? He had no need, or want really, for purposeless killing. Just imagining all the bloodshed and spine chilling screams made Ryan feel sick enough, there was no need to carry on that legacy.  _ He was going to prove it wrong. _

His thoughts were disrupted by a low growl coming from his right, his head whipping towards the source immediately and hand going to his sword. He squeezed the leather of the embroidered handle firmly and pulled out his sword as the shambling, disheveled creature emerged from behind a bush. 

A sigh of relief left his lips because of how slow it was moving, so Ryan had time to walk up to it. He put a good distance between himself and the creature before raising his sword up, the green tinted creature still trying desperately to make its way to Ryan. This would be an easy kill. Just one quick swipe through the base of the neck, and he’d be able to go back to the campsite for rest.

But as he brought the sword down, he stuttered, something being too familiar in the action. Too familiar and too closely related to a recent event that he couldn’t seem to piece together completely. 

His sword came down into the bottom of his neck instead, actually getting stuck within the meaty muscle and immediately causing a dark black ooze to splash out everywhere. The zombie fell forward and grabbed at Ryan’s face, scratching his cheekbone slightly. The weight on top of him forced Ryan back until he hit a tree and his sword was not budging even if he tried with all his strength to take it out and this  _ thing _ was snarling and taking bites out of the air that were way too close to his face for comfort and his heart rate began to pick up and Geoff was nowhere near him at this point and-

Something clicked.

Suddenly he had the strength to push the creature away from himself and rip out the sword, flesh and black blood flying out along with it. Some of it fell onto his face, but he really didn’t care at this point. He took this chance to kick it in the stomach with enough force to make it fall to the ground and quickly jab his sword into the skull, twisting it for good measure. The creature shuddered for a moment, it’s fingers and legs twitching uncontrollably before going lifeless.

Ryan let out a breathe and let go of his sword, the sudden realization that he had killed something hitting him like a ton of bricks.

He had just killed something. He had just  _ killed something. _

There was a feeling that overtook him when he was pinned by that creature, something that was all too familiar to him and he didn’t have a damn clue as to why. It was normal to act on impulse when you’re life is in danger, people tend to unlock certain strengths when they’re in life or death situations. 

But what Ryan changed into,  _ who  _ Ryan changed into, it wasn’t something normal. It felt way too casual to take it’s life without a second thought, the grip and swing and feeling coming together way too smoothly. 

And the thing that scared Ryan the most, is that this might be the person he really was before, the person that everyone saw him as before he had died and come back, the person that people had to stay away from, the person that just killed and killed and  _ killed - _

Ryan took a deep, shuddering breath and pulled himself from his thoughts. This was not the time and place to try and figure out his past. So, Ryan pulled his sword from the zombies head and wiped the blood off with a cloth he had in his belt, turning away from the body and making his way back to Geoff.

He didn’t talk about his encounter when he got back, and Geoff didn’t ask.

-

As they approached Ray’s domain, the front entrance was abnormally locked up, according to Geoff that is.

The gate was in full lockdown, guards standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the iron defense as more roamed atop the massive wall, weapons and cannons at the ready. Ryan knit his brows together in both confusion and concern as they lead their horses across the stone pathway to the entrance. He recalled his dream then, when he spoke of what had happened here with Geoff in the war room. Suddenly, he understood.

The guard in the middle held up his hand as they got closer, a good twenty feet standing between them. “Halt!”

Geoff stopped first and held up his hand to Ryan as well, telling him to stop as the guard came closer. He put his hood up to hide his face because besides the other Kings and their close friends,  _ he was supposed to be dead. _ Better to not stir up any conflict right now.

“What’s your business here?” Geoff sighed and ran a hand down his face.

“I’m holding a meeting with your King. As you know, he’s awake, and I’m here to see him.” His tone was tight and controlled, straight to the point, but still held something that could be desperate. That didn’t seem to sit well with the guard, the grip on his spear only tightening and showing no intent to move out of the way.

“I’m sorry My Lord, but I have strict orders to not allow anyone through. Even if it’s you and your friend.” He gestured to Ryan, and the way his stare lingered made him shift uncomfortably.

“Hey, who are you anyway?” Ryan felt his heart rate pick up and he glanced up at Geoff. Thankfully, he caught his eye and he turned to the guard, hand coming up to push against his chest and stop him.

“He’s a healer. He’s here to help your King recover more quickly and if I were you,” Geoff snickered a bit, crossing his arms, ”I wouldn’t get too close. He isn’t always hired to heal people.” Ryan looked away slightly, casting a darker shadow on his face for emphasis.

“What’s his name?” The guard stared up at him, looking him up and down. “If he’s so great, he has to be well known.”

“Does it matter?”

“It does if he’s going to be anywhere near our King.”

Geoff fell silent, trying to think up an excuse but he wasn’t thinking fast enough because the guard started to approach again and he was out of Geoff’s reach and if he turned away it’d be suspicious-

“The Vagabond,” Ryan said quickly, forcing his voice to become lower and huskier in an attempt to hide his real voice. 

The guard raised an eyebrow, not seeming too convinced. 

“The Vagabond?” he said mockingly, coming out like a chuckle, ”Right, now listen-”

“No, you listen,” Geoff demanded,startingg to sound annoyed, “if you think that the behavior you’re displaying right now is acceptable, you’re dead wrong. I don’t know if you know how a Kingdom works, but it goes like this,” Geoff stepped down from his horse and stood in front of the guard, his aura dark and looming in a way that Ryan hasn’t seen from him yet.

“I say I’m going to do something, and then I do it. Simple as that. Now you should turn around and tell your friends to raise the gates, or you can find yourself scrounging for food with the sewer rats tonight. How does that sound?”

His last words were uttered with a mocking sound that actually came out less mocking and more threatening. And it obviously worked, because suddenly the guard seemed smaller and he gave a quick nod before turning around and running back over to his fellow guards.

Geoff stood straighter and fixed his crown before climbing back on his horse. Ryan wanted to say something, but the look on Geoff’s face did not give off something very welcoming of any snide comments right now. That wasn’t before Geoff made the move for one first.

“ _ The Vagabond?” _

“Shut up, it’s better than nothing,” he retorted, feeling a need to defend himself.

Geoff snickered as he moved his horse to trot towards the gate.

“C’mon,  _ Vagabond.” _

Ryan sighed and followed behind him, hiding his face now from both the guards and his own embarrassment.

-

As they made their way to Ray’s castle, Ryan saw how badly the town needed their help.

Buildings collapsed that used to be a home for families, medics still running around tending to the sick and wounded, citizens forced on the streets to beg for food and coin, women, children, everyone, trying so hard at this point to retain some sort of  _ hope _ . 

Ryan cast a glance at Geoff, and from the way he saw his jaw clenched and eyes trained forward as if avoiding the chaos, it was apparent that seeing this hurt him too.

Ray was a part of Geoff's kingdom, and seeing the city that he promised to protect, promised to give this food and shelter and hope to, laying in ruins around him, it was hard to look at.

“Hey Geoff, you okay?”

Geoff looked over at him, lost, as if Ryan had just brought him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, I'm good man,…”, Geoff looked around himself as his horse stepped over some more remains, “it's just hard to look at, you know? This used to be a city that thrived on commerce and trade, labor unions, guilds, close knit communities that relied on each other for everything. But that's all gone now…” 

Geoff’s lips pressed together tightly, and Ryan couldn't bare to see the man like this. He was the only one that trusted Ryan, the only one that didn't look at him like a monster. But seeing him shoulder all the blame when in reality, they were all to blame for what happened to Ray and his city, it hurt more than Ryan thought it would, considering he only knows the gist of what happened.

“Geoff, don't blame yourself for what happened, this was just-”

“- _ more than a slip up.  _ That's what you said, remember?”

Ryan's breathe caught in his throat because of all things he didn't remember, that was one that he did, back in the war room. He didn't know how to respond, mouth hung open and looking taken aback because now Geoff seemed irritated.

“Geoff-”

Geoff shook his head. “Never mind Ryan, you probably don't remember...so just forget about it.”

‘ _ But I do remember.’ _

Ryan stared at Geoff for a moment, holding eye contact with him. Geoff doesn't know how much Ryan knows, and the truth is, Ryan doesn't know how much Geoff knows either. For all he knew, He could be playing him right now, pretending to say that he's a king, that he ever had any control over anything. But putting this much effort into playing Ryan into his hands just  _ didn't  _ seem like something Geoff would do. Ryan trusted him too, so he pretended to stay oblivious.

“Okay, not like I have a choice anyways.”

Geoff flashed a grin for a moment before going serious again. 

A silence fell between them, but it wasn't so tense anymore. It felt more comfortable, more companionable, and as Ryan and Geoff approached the front gates of Ray’s castle, Ryan wondered if this was how their relationship was before Ryan died. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading once again!! Sorry for the weird cut off, but I've been working on a Christmas fic, so you can see where my priorities lie ahaha   
> It will be up hopefully by Friday, but if not, that weekend, and the next chapter for this fic may be a day late, but I am going to work my hardest to make sure that it isn't uvu (seeing as today until saturday i'm gonna be pretty damn busy unu)  
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments :D <33


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